1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ice hockey equipment, and more specifically, to a hockey goaltender skate blade protector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ice hockey is a sport played at a wide range of levels, from recreational to professional. The object of the game is to shoot a puck into the other team's goal net. The player positions include forward, defense and goaltender. The goaltender is the last line of defense in keeping the opposing team's puck out of the goal net. Ice hockey players wear protective equipment due to the rigors of the sport. The goaltender, in particular, wears specialized protective equipment, due to the uniqueness of the position. The goaltender helmet, neck guard, and chest protector are all designed to protect the player's body. At the same time, the glove and blocker and kneepads are all designed to assist the goaltender in stopping the puck. The goaltender also wears a unique ice skate designed for the position. The boot portion of the skate has a lower profile, and there is a protective guard surrounding a lower portion of the boot. The blade is wider to accommodate the lateral movement of the goaltender. The goaltender utilizes various stylistic maneuvers to defend the net and to stop the puck. Examples of these techniques include a butterfly, butterfly slide, pad stack, shuffle, or half split, or the like.
In defending the net, the goaltender must shuffle quickly from post to post. During a game, the goaltender will frequently keep the edge of their skate against the post, in order to prevent the puck from entering the net. In order to develop this skill, the goaltender engages in drills to perfect their positioning, speed and agility during practice sessions. However, a problem with many of the drills that a goaltender practices is that repeated contact between the skate blade and the goal post may occur. Since the goal post is made of metal, repeated contact of the skate blade with the metal post tends to dull or nick the skate blade, which affects the skating ability of the goaltender. As a result, the blade must be sharpened. The need to resharpen the blade can be inconvenient and/or costly, especially when it occurs during a pregame practice.
Roller hockey is similar to ice hockey, except that it is played on a hard surface, and the players wear roller hockey skates. Roller hockey skates include a boot, similar to an ice hockey boot. The roller hockey skate also includes a plurality of wheels arranged in a predetermined pattern, such as in-line. The goaltender performs similar moves to an ice hockey goaltender, and may have related concerns regarding the skate wheels being damaged from repeated contact with the posts of the hockey net.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a protective device that is selectively installed on the goal post portion of the goal net during practice sessions to protect the blade portion of the goaltender's skate.